United Nations Public Service Awards Case Studies

The institution being nominated is (full name): City of Vienna, Chief Executive Office – Executive Office for Urban Planning, Development and Construction, Co-ordination Office for Planning and Construction Geared to the Requirements of Daily Life and the Specific Needs of Women

comments:
The pilot process was supported politically and financially by the two Executive Groups “Urban Development, Traffic and Transport” and “Integration, Women’s Issues, Consumer Protection and Personnel“. DI Rudolf Schicker, Executive City Councillor for Urban Development, Traffic and Transport, in his inaugural press conference, referred to gender mainstreaming as an important cross-sectional issue within his sphere of competence. This Executive Group provides a good share of financial resources for process and public relations activities. Financial support has also been granted by Mag.a Sonja Wehsely, Executive City Councillor for Women’s Issues since 2004 (previously Executive City Councillor Renate Brauner). Political backing for the issue has come from the municipal district in charge of financing measures for the current working programme. Renate Kaufmann is the district chairwoman for the district. Appointment of a project manager for gender mainstreaming at the city administration in autumn 2005 is a major indicator of the increasing importance of gender mainstreaming for the city as a whole. Mag.a Ursula Bauer was previously committed to gender mainstreaming at the Vienna Women’s Office and accompanied the process as a member of the advisory council.

The Co-ordination Office for Planning and Construction Geared to the Requirements of Daily Life and the Specific Needs of Women is responsible for process control. At the administrative level the process has been promoted by 30 members of staff (of whom 5 women) working for Municipal Departments 19 “Architecture and Urban Design“, MD 21A “District Planning and Land Use Central West“, MD 28 “Road Management and Construction“, MD 29 “Bridge Construction and Foundation Engineering“, MD 33 “Public Lighting“, MD 46 “Traffic Management and Organisation“, and MD 59 “Market Authority“ in the district. Five female and one male expert from two planning bureaus knowledgeable in gender mainstreaming were put in charge of external consulting and moderation of the process. One additional bureau was commissioned to prepare a study on pedestrian-oriented traffic and transport planning in the district (2 members of staff).
The project was accompanied by a gender-mainstreaming advisory council composed of three women and three men from the fields of traffic and transport planning, urban planning/administration, as well as from the area renewal office for the 6th district and the citizens’ participation process under Local Agenda 21.

The 6th district has successfully bridged the gap between master concept and concrete everyday administration: Due to the positive resonance on the Gender Mainstreaming Pilot District Mariahilf as of 2006, the quality standards and methods prepared during the process have been extended to other districts as well. 8 municipal departments from the urban development, traffic and transport sectors have chosen gender mainstreaming master projects outside the 6th district in 2006. They range from traffic planning to general urban development or designing public buildings. In 2007, further master project will be chosen. The process therefore has been an important promoter of an area-wide implementation of gender mainstreaming into planning processes in Vienna.

What is the initiative about? (the solution)
The City of Vienna, with the Gender Mainstreaming Pilot District Process, is setting new quality standards for planning and projecting. Public space has to serve everyone’s interests and must meet the different needs arising from different situations in life, age, activity and gender. Deficits in public space are frequently felt by women rather than men: more women than men avail themselves of public transport. They run everyday errands on foot and close to their homes, they still do most of the supply work for their families and thus are usually out with the slowest road users (children and elderly people requiring assistance). This is where gender mainstreaming in traffic and transport sets in: perspectives geared to gender equality are to become an integral part of all decisions. In Vienna financing of road measures is within the competence of the municipal districts. That is why the district level is so important for traffic and transport policies geared to the requirements of daily life. Mariahilf was picked out as the “Gender Mainstreaming Pilot District“ in 2002. The Co-ordination Office for Planning and Construction Geared to the Requirements of Daily Life and the Specific Needs of Women at the Executive Office for Urban Planning, Development and Construction has been put in charge of the process and provides the theoretical and practical background. The aim is to take into account the interests of pedestrians when designing public road space. The challenge for the pilot process is to make members of staff sensitive to the different, gender-specific needs of road users. Planning and construction measures have to be implemented to show up the scope for action and decision-making which gender mainstreaming requires as a basis for needs-oriented planning. The seven participating departments involved in the project assess gender-specific implications and carefully consider their decisions in accordance with the needs of different target groups. The instruments developed for the purpose were first tested during pilot projects and procedures in the district. In 2005 Municipal Departments 28, “Road Management and Construction“, MD 33, “Public Lighting“ and MD 46, “Traffic Management and Organisation“ were selected as core departments for the project. They all take into account area-wide gender mainstreaming for all measures implemented in the 6th district. Since the project first began in late 2002 almost 1,000 metres of pavement have been widened, approximately 40 street crossings have been added, about 30 lighting projects have been implemented, barrier-free pavements have been created in five different places, one lift has been installed in public space, 2 minor square designs have been completed and additional seating has been placed in 9 different locations. As of April 2006, the pilot process is extended to other municipal districts with the help of master projects.

Who proposed the solution, who implemented it and who were the stakeholders?
Timeframe November 14, 2002: media tour of the 6th district with political decision-makers: Mariahilf is introduced as a pilot district June 30, 2004: intensive phase of pilot process initiated with 7 participating municipal departments and commissioned planning bureaus February 23, 2005: presentation of executed gender mainstreaming master projects by participating municipal departments As of April 2005: area-wide gender mainstreaming in the 6th district implemented by core departments MA 46 (Traffic Management and Organisation) MA 28 (Road Management and Construction) and MA 33 (Public Lighting) As of April 2006: gender mainstreaming pilot process extended to other municipal districts

Describe how and when the initiative was implemented by answering these questions
a. What were the strategies used to implement the initiative? In no more than 500 words, provide a summary of the main objectives and strategies of the initiative, how they were established and by whom.
Interests of women in the planning context have been an issue in Vienna for more than 10 years: from 1992 to 1997 by the newly established multi-disciplinary Women’s Office (MD 57) and, as of 1998, by the Co-ordination Office for Planning and Construction Geared to the Requirements of Daily Life and the Specific Needs of Women established at the Chief Executive Office – Executive Office for Urban Planning, Development and Construction that year. A series of competencies for gender planning were thus made available. The master concept for traffic and transport planning first took account of gender mainstreaming in the Transport Master Plan prepared by the City of Vienna in 2003. The Plan contains principles and objectives for pedestrians the implementation of which will be a contribution to gender equality in public space. The Co-ordination Office steered the working group for pedestrians, cyclists and traffic safety during the first two years of its development In Vienna districts are substantially involved in overall traffic and transport planning. In 2002 a set of maps depicting qualities and deficits in the pedestrian-path network was made available for all districts as part of a “Gender Mainstreaming Model Districts“ programme to support gender-sensitive decisions for projects in public space. Districts also received a manual of gender-sensitive perspectives for traffic and transport planning at the Co-ordination Office’s Based on these circumstances Mariahilf was chosen as the “Gender Mainstreaming Pilot District“ in late 2002.

b. What were the key development and implementation steps and the chronology? No more than 500 words
Emphasis of the project is placed on designing public road space. Districts constitute the lowest level of communal policies and are put in charge of allocating resources for designing public space which is why they were chosen for implementation of the project. The administration’s task to prepare decisions is best seen in concrete project and constructions measures. Mariahilf is particularly suited as a gender mainstreaming pilot district because it is the only district to date with a women’s commission in place, and improving conditions for pedestrians has been a focus of traffic and transport policies for some time here.

c. What were the main obstacles encountered? How were they overcome? No more than 500 words
A strategy paper prepared by the Co-ordination Office and the commissioned planning bureaus in winter 2003/spring 2004 defined a success measure for the process. Placing increased emphasis on the everyday life of less assertive groups was identified as the process’s main objective. Raising awareness for gender equality in the municipal departments, implementation of one master project per municipal department, establishment of minimum gender mainstreaming standards, as well as transfer of gender mainstreaming outside the pilot district were listed as criteria for success. The following measures were considered strategically important: - Relevant technical coaching and content input individual and consulting - Exchange between participating municipal departments (joint visits to current projects on site round tables, networking meetings) - Products: master projects, minimum standards for each municipal department, public relations activities The following project phases have been established: Project phase “preparation” The actual pilot process was preceded by an intensive preparatory phase. The Co-ordination Office commissioned 2 studies on gender mainstreaming in planning. Back in November 2003 the Co-ordination Office organized a first information meeting for participating departments. In December 2003 two Gender Mainstreaming workshops and one Gender Mainstreaming Best Practice event with international experts were held. Starting in February 2004 the Co-ordination Office began to define success criteria in a strategy paper and establish a timeframe with the cooperation of the commissioned planning bureaus. Project phase “master projects“ During the inaugural meeting at the district office in July 2004 participating municipal departments had the opportunity for a first exchange of experience. Members of staff organized guided walks (complete with prams, buggies, wheelchairs and scooters) to introduce ongoing projects in their fields of activity. Based on this municipal departments independently selected gender mainstreaming master projects from the current working programme. A gender mainstreaming matrix was used during implementation to show up the effects of the project on the different user groups, depending on circumstances and transport mode. These evaluations were then applied to the decision-making process. During this project phase 24 individual consulting sessions were held in the departments, with a minimum of 3 sessions per department. Project phase “area-wide anchoring“ Since April 2005 Municipal Departments 28, MD 33 and MD 46, chosen as core departments for their relevance to public space at district level, have been considering gender mainstreaming an area-wide issue for the district. Area-wide application has been incorporated in the departments’ contracts. A set of instruments is to secure application of the jointly prepared minimum gender mainstreaming standards. The other municipal departments involved in the pilot process have completed their master projects. Two major success criteria of the process have thus been achieved: completion of master projects and definition of minimum standards in the core departments. As of 2006 the pilot process is being extended to other municipal districts in Vienna. To this end master projects have been selected independently outside the 6th district by 8 municipal departments responsible for urban development, traffic and transport. A further success criterion, “transfer of gender mainstreaming outside the pilot district”, has thus been achieved.

d. What resources were used for the initiative and what were its key benefits? In no more than 500 words, specify what were the financial, technical and human resources’ costs associated with this initiative. Describe how resources were mobilized
Since the project first began in late 2002 almost 1,000 metres of pavement have been widened in the 6th district, approximately 40 street crossings have been added, about 30 lighting projects have been implemented, barrier-free pavements have been created in five different places, one lift has been installed in public space, 2 minor square designs have been completed and additional seating has been placed in 9 different locations. The measures undertaken in the 6th district are a major step towards establishing gender equality and have resulted in a redistribution of resources in public space to the benefit of pedestrians. Cross-departmental networking meetings and consulting sessions in the departments have helped to raise the awareness of planning staff for the needs of pedestrians and create a basis for practical implementation. The instruments developed to take into account gender-relevant factors are there to support decisions in favour of gender equality and to render planning processes and decision making more transparent. They constitute a major contribution to quality assurance at the administrative level. In 2005 11 projects were evaluated with the help of the gender mainstreaming matrix. 10 projects are to the benefit of pedestrians or public transport users and thus actively support gender equality in public space. In 2005 118 construction works approvals and 24 applications for restaurant garden approvals were documented with the support of the developed gender-guidelines and deviations from standards were substantiated as needed. The guidelines are ideal monitoring and controlling tools. In autumn 2005 planners and politicians received concrete assistance in the form of a brochure “Stadt fair teilen“ (fair shares in the city) which sets out quality criteria for public space on the basis of the measures implemented in the 6th district. The brochure was sent to all of Vienna’s 1,200 members of district councils, all 400 members of staff in the urban development, traffic and transport sector and to various traffic and transport planning bureaus and institutions. A folder was prepared for residents of the 6th district and subsequently sent to all 16,000 households.

Is the initiative sustainable and transferable?
Sustainability Seeing as space is a limited resource, private transport is usually given preference in the context and space requirements of pedestrians and public transport users in the proximity of bus and tram stops tend to be neglected, anchoring/incorporation of gender mainstreaming in planning procedures is likely to increase comfort and safety of the groups hitherto disadvantaged. Women frequently travel on foot or use public transport and will benefit particularly from this new strategy. This is also why traffic and transport planning aimed at achieving equal opportunities for women and men has the same effect as promoting the environmentally-friendly transport network. Adhering to the principle of the city of short distances and promoting local traffic and transport are essential contributions to sustainable urban development and as such also support gender equality because they are to the benefit of those who bear the double burden of career and family. A look at the financing of measures reveals that gender-oriented planning need not incur additional costs: it is not the additional “number” of measures that counts but the social focus on public space and the catalogue of priorities defined in accordance with the principles of gender mainstreaming. In the long term resources will be used more efficiently because the project takes into account target groups and the specific needs of “customers” in public space. Transfers The planning bureau tilia was commissioned with the study “Best Practice – Gender Mainstreaming in Planning and Construction in Europe“ in preparation of the process. International projects for implementation of gender mainstreaming in planning were researched and from the host of examples found the four approaches most suitable for Vienna were selected and examined in greater detail on site. Results of the research were used to find strategies for the gender mainstreaming pilot process. Research revealed that gender mainstreaming in planning is a fairly new approach and there are very few examples for area-wide implementation. Exchange of relevant experience during the process was ensured by cooperation with other projects: Mariahilf and districts in Gyoer and participated in the EU funded project “Opening - integrative urban planning“. The head of the Co-ordination Office is a member of the advisory council for the two-year German experimental housing and urban construction research project “Gender Mainstreaming in urban construction“. Experience from the pilot district Mariahilf as a Best Practice was part of this project and has also been incorporated in the current two-year project. Feedback on the brochure and the folder has been very positive so far. Urban planning Berlin has already ordered copies of the brochure to distribute them among heads of district planning offices in particular. Due to the positive resonance on the pilot district Mariahilf the minimum standards prepared by the core departments are to be extended to other districts as well. Along with the core departments 5 other municipal departments from the urban development, traffic and transport sectors implement gender mainstreaming master projects outside the 6th district in 2006. Upon the request of the Executive City Councillor for Urban Development, Traffic and Transport there is to be a gender mainstreaming award for districts in Vienna as of 2007. The projects submitted are to be shown as best practices in a touring exhibition throughout Vienna and are also to be published.

What are the impact of your initiative and the lessons learned?
The main challenge for the process was to methodically integrate the interests of pedestrians in traffic and transport planning and put them on an equal footing with other interests. Precise knowledge of internal procedures at the level of municipal departments was essential for the success of the process: real scope for decision-making is often not visible at first sight and it takes active participation in administrative work to actually discover such scope. All the more important are analyses of scope for action and decision-making from the very start which are best done with a bottom-up approach, i.e. with the cooperation of members of staff and specific on-site planning measures. Practical illustration of gender mainstreaming based on a concrete pilot process raised people’s acceptance of the issue and reduced “fear of contact” among members of staff: Selecting a pilot district was a major step towards systematically considering target-group interests. The top down approach proved just as important, however: The high relative importance awarded to the pilot process at the political level must be considered an essential factor for success. Also relevant was the fact the Co-ordination Office was able to set incentives and monitor quality throughout the process. Active participation of members of staff in the pilot process and their commitment in the district was markedly influenced by the of superiors. Transferability of the experience gained is guaranteed above all by minimum standards and instruments – with the strategic approach now achieved the process is ready to be extended to other districts.


Institution Name:		City of Vienna
Institution Type:		Public Organization
Contact Person:		Eva Kail
Title:		Head of Co-ordination Office
Telephone/ Fax:		+43-1-4000-82661
Institution's / Project's Website:		+43-1-4000-99-82661
E-mail:		kae@mbd.magwien.gv.at
Address:		Vienna City Hall
Postal Code:		1082
City:		Vienna
State/Province:
Country:		Austria

The Problem

Solution and Key Benefits

Actors and Stakeholders

(a) Strategies

(b) Implementation

(c) Overcoming Obstacles

(d) Use of Resources

Sustainability and Transferability

Lessons Learned

Contact Information